Rope net and method of making the same



Dec. 24, 1957 E. PEDLEY EI'AL 2,817,263

I ROPE NET AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April 12. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 WVENTOR. fire/c L. 1 501.5 v

BY PH/ LL 1 5045 V Z r w E W m m W E. l. PEDLEY ET'AL ROPE NET AND METHOD OF MAKING m: SAME Filed April 12. 1954 I Dec. 24, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmvron EPIC L. PEOLEV BY pH/LL 1p P 0; 6 v mm, y MM IITOF/Vi/f E. L. PEDLEY 'm-AL w .ROPE NET AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed April 12, 1954 Dec. 24, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIE--17 FIE-.15

States Patent 2,817,263 Patented Dec. 24, 1957 ROPE NET AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Eric L. Pedley and Philip Pedley, San Francisco, Calif., assignors to Pedley-Knowles & Co., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 12, 1954, Serial No. 422,530

17 Claims. (Cl. 87-13) This invention relates to a rope net and to a method of making the same.

One of the objects of the invention is the method of making a rope net of superior characteristics to ordinary rope nets and which method enables the net to be made more efiiciently than heretofore insofar as the time element is concerned.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rope net that is substantially stronger than ordinary rope nets made of rope of the same material and size.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a rope net that is of a structure that enables the net to be more flexible in adapting it to different circumstances and that substantially equally distributes any strains on the mesh rope of said net to the diiferent angularly extending runs of mesh rope radiating from the point where the strain is applied.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a diamond mesh rope net that is formed from one or from several continuous rope lengths by successively laying runs of the rope along a series of angularly extending substantially straight runs and laying alternate of said runs along parallel lines across the same side of intervening runs, and thereafter firmly securing said runs together where they cross each other.

In explanation of the above, the diamond mesh design one in which, in a rectangular net, the mesh openings are substantially at right angles to the edges of the net, as distinguished from a square mesh design in which the sides of the mesh openings are respectively parallel with two adjacent edges of the net, or in which the diagonals are at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to such edges, this latter structure being the one commonly employed. Also the term laying runs of the ropes and laying alternate of said runs distinguishes over the method in which the net is woven by passing lengths or runs of the rope over and under the runs of adjacent pairs. In laying rope as the Word is used herein, no attempt is made to weave it, or to pass one run or any portion thereof through another.

Certain runs may cross other runs where the rope is laid but each length between opposite edges of the net merely lays on any runs that may be under it, and in any case where one run crosses another in laying successive runs it always crosses on the same side of such other run.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the description, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a simple net in which there is an edge rope and a single mesh rope, the former extending along the edges of the net defining its outline and the mesh rope being the one that forms the body or mesh of the net, the ties themselves being omitted for clarity.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1 but in which two continuous mesh ropes are used instead of only one, the ties being omitted for clarity.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary elevational view illustrating a tie between the lacing rope and the mesh rope of Fig. 10.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of one of the loops in the edge rope of the net at one of the corners of the latter in Figs. 1, 2, 9 and 10.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of two mesh ropes at a crossing point and it shows a tie at said point.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view illustrating a bend in the mesh rope where it is bent around the edge rope, and showing a tie at said bend.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the formation of the ties of Figs. 5, 6.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the formation of the tie of Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the formation of the tie of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a plan of an elongated oblong net formed from several net panels laced together, the ties being omitted for clarity.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of an elongated panel constructed generally the same as the panel of Fig. 1 and here again the ties have been omitted in the drawing for clarity.

Fig. 12 is a semi-diagrammatic view illustrating the steps in forming a net and showing how difierent size nets are laid.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a frame suitable for use in laying a net.

Fig. 14 is a semi-diagrammatic view showing one method of enclosing and impregnating the lashing material of the ties in or with a plastic material just before a tie is formed.

Fig. 15 is a plan view showing a net similar to that of Fig. 10 in which a plurality of panels are connected by double thimbles of special construction.

Fig. 16 is a side view of a double thimble connecting a pair of rope lengths from each of an adjacent pair of panels, the lashing material being indicated by dot-dash lines.

Fig. 17 is a side view of one-half of the thimble of Fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is an end view of the lower half of a double thimble with the upper half indicated in dot-dash lines, and with the rope lengths extending through the thimble also being indicated in dot-dash lines.

Perhaps the forming of a net by the present method can be most clearly described by referring to Figs. 12 and 13.

In Fig. 13 a rectangular frame is illustrated, and which frame comprises a pair of opposed side members 40, 41, of equal length and a pair of opposed side members 42, 43 also of equal length but in this case slightly longer than members 40, 41.

In the particular frame of Fig. 13 six dowel pins 42 are at equally spaced points along and secured to members 42, 43 and five dowel pins 44 are at equally spaced points along members 40, 41. Those pins may be secured in any desired manner to the frame members.

In forming a net such as shown in full line in Fig. 12, one end of a single rope 45 may be started at any point within the frame. For purpose of description the words upper, lower, right, left, and words of similar connotation will refer to the views shown on the drawings, and in Fig. 12, the numerals shown along the top, bottom, and sides of the view will indicate the order of the dowel pins about which successively laid runs of the rope extend, and the same numbers in Fig. 13 will apply to the pins shown in Fig. 13 insofar as the full line net of Fig. 12 is concerned. The numerals in Fig. 12 along the edges of the net that are followed by the letter a show the order followed in forming an elongated net that includes the net section shown in dot-dash line.

It should be emphasized that a net may be of any length, but from a practical standpoint, a relatively long net is formed in panels that are connected as shown in Figs. and 15, the former using what may be termed a lacing rope for connecting the adjacent panels while the latter uses double thimbles, as will later be explained more in detail.

In laying the full line net of Fig. 12, it will be seen that one end of the mesh rope is initially positioned adjacent to the pin 1 in frame member 43 at the upper left hand corner of the frame and then the run 46 of said rope extends to and around pin 2 that is at the lower right hand end of the frame or at the right hand end of member 42. From pin 2 the run 47 of rope 45 extends to and around pin 3 that is at the lower end of frame member 41 and then run 48 extends parallel with run 46 to and around pin 4 that is adjacent to pin 1 in member 43. From pin 4 the rope continues in run 49 that is parallel with run 47 to and around pin 5 that is in the upper end portion of frame member 40.

In the above description it should be understood that the size of the net may vary but, regardless of size, each net or panel repeats a basic unit in which the net must have one mesh more in one dimension than in the other. This characteristic is necessary so that the pattern completes itself to the point of beginning with one continuous line. This characteristic also allows two or more basic units to be laid up in continuous form with one continuous line.

There is no need to describe the rest of the laying in detail, since the operation continues by successively laying the runs of rope 45 along a series of angularly extending substantially straight runs, as described for runs 46, 47 and then runs such as 48, 49 in which alternate of said runs, such as runs 47, 49 or 46, 48 are along parallel lines, and, as seen in Fig. 12 the successively laid runs will, always cross the same side of a previously laid run, and at no time is the last laid run woven over and under a previously laid run or runs that it crosses. For example run 50 extends from pin 5 to pin 6 and parallel to run 48, and from pin 6 the run 51 extends to pin 7 parallel to run 49 across the upper and same sides of previously laid runs 46, 43 (Fig. 13).

As already stated the numerals 1 to 22 along the edges of the net indicate, numerically and in order, the successive pins around which the rope 45 is laid, and after the rope extends around the final pin 22 it passes across the upper left hand corner of the frame to and around pin 1 and the terminating end is spliced in the conventoinal manner at 53 to the initially laid end of the rope (Fig. 12).

In the event a smaller net than the one described is desired, such, for example as may come within the dash lines 54, 55, the frame is smaller having pins at the points where the rope indicated in Fig. 12 intersects the line 54, 55.

Should a larger net be desired, such for example, as would come within the outline of both the full line and dot-dash line net of Fig. 12, then the frame would be proportionally larger with pins at the bends of the rope indicated along the edges of the net, and the net could be started adjacent to pin 1 (indicated as M for the large net) and after run 46 passed around pin 2 (2a) it would extend to pin 3a, and then to 4a, then to 5a and then back to pin 6a (or pin 8 in the originally described smaller net) etc.

Any size net can be formed by the present method, there being one thing common to all nets, namely, that the completed net is one mesh longer in one dimension than in the other. In other words and referring now to the bends in the mesh net at the pins, there will be an even number of bends along each of two opposite edges of the net and an odd number along each of the other two edges with the number of bends along each of two of said opposite edges being one less than the number along the other two edges.

Fig. 1 shows a net formed as described for the net of Fig. 12 except that there are seven bends (or seven mesh openings) along the upper and lower edges of the net, and six bends (or six mesh openings) along the two remaining edges.

Once the net is laid as described in Figs. l2, 13 an edge rope 55 (Fig. 1) is extended through the bends of the mesh rope so that the bends of the mesh rope extend around the edge rope. Loops 56 may be formed in the edge rope at each corner of the net, and ties 57 (Figs. 4, 8) preferably of glass fibers firmly hold the rope at the base of each loop together.

At each bend of the mesh rope 45 around the edge rope (Figs. 6, 7), glass fibers lash the bend to the edge rope, as indicated at 58 to form a tie securing the bend to the edge rope, and at each crossing of the mesh rope (Figs. 5, 7) a tie 59 securely ties the mesh rope together.

The glass fibers employed for lashing the various rope portions together, as explained above, are preferably in strands of filaments in which the filaments are straight instead of being twisted together, hence there is virtually no stretching of the lashing material longitudinally thereof.

In Figs. 5, 7, it will be seen that the filaments are wound around the crossing rope portions in planes that are perpendicular to each other so that one portion of the lengths of the filaments crosses an underlying portion and each of the crossing mesh rope portions is held against movement relative to the other.

In actual practice, as best seen in Fig. 14, the glass fibers 60 used for making each tie is first coated with a fluid, plastic material 61 of the type that is resistant to attack by the elements and to ordinary chemicals and which will set or harden and will then remain stable under variations in temperature. The glass fibers are formed into said ties while the plastic material 61 is adhered thereto and within a relatively short time after each tie is formed the plastic will have become set and it not only encloses each tie but partially impregnates the rope at the point of each tie thus locking the rope portions together at each tie, and the ties themselves are protected against injury from abrasion.

In many instances a relatively long and narrow net is desired. Such a net is shown in Fig. 10 in which three sections or panels generally designated 65, 66, 67 are formed on frames similar to the frame shown in l3, and these are connected by lacing rope 68 of larger diameter than the diameter of the mesh rope. This lacing rope 68 extends back and forth through the adjacent bends in the pair of panels to form a row of mesh open" ings 70 between each adjacent pair of panels of substantially the same size as the mesh openings in the net proper. The ends of each lacing rope are spliced together at 71 the proper conventional splice, and ties 72 (Figs. 3, 9) secure the mesh rope to the lacing rope at each bend in the mesh and lacing ropes.

In the event a smaller relatively narrow net is required, it should be pointed out that the mesh portion of a not such as shown in Fig. 1 and formed as already described, may be elongated to the form shown in Fig. ll or a fr corresponding to the form shown in Fig. 11 could be provided for initially laying the net in said form, after which the edge rope is threaded along the bends and the loops are formed in the edge rope at the corner of the net.

It has already been pointed out that where only one continuous mesh rope is used, the net may be laid from practically any starting point within the outline of the net, although, preferably it is started near a corner.

In Fig. 2 a net is shown in which two continuous ropes are used, namely, a rope 70 that starts near one corner, generally designated 71, and a second rope 72 that starts at corner 73. Rope 70 terminates at corner 74 and rope 72 terminates at corner 75. An edge rope 76 extends within the bends of the mesh rope along the edges of the net and loops '77, identical to loop 56 are formed at the corners of the net, except that the ends of ropes 70, 72 extend between the tied portions of each loop so that said ends are securely fastened to the edge rope at each of the loops. It is, of course, obvious that the ropes 70, 72 can start at corners 74, 75 if desired, and finish at corners 71, 73.

The diameter of the edge rope is substantially greater than the diameter of the mesh rope so as to increase the radius of each bend and to thereby obviate any weakness at the bends that would exist were the bends to be relatively sharp, and the diameter of the lacing rope is greater than that of the mesh rope for the same reason.

Emphasis has already been made of the fact that a plurality of panels of the same number of bends along adjacent edges may be secured together along said adjacent edges as shown in Fig. 10. Such structure provides a strong net that is more than adequate for many requirements, but in many instances where the strains likely to be imposed on the net are greater, the lacing rope 68 of Figs. 3, 9, is omitted, and double thimbles, generally designated 80 (Figs. l5, 16) are provided.

These thimbles 80 may be of any suitable material and each thimble is preferably formed in two halves 81, 82 of the same structure, and they may be cast, stamped or formed by any desired method. However, the fact that the halves are of the same structure makes their manufacture more economical than were they different.

The half 82 will be described in detail, and the numbers used will apply equally to the upper half 81.

Each half 82 comprises a saddle-like element having opposed sides 83 and open ends, while the bottom 84 that connects the two sides 83 is of concave cross-sectional contour on its inner side that faces into the space between said sides 83, and convexly curved on its inner side in direction at right angles thereto. This concave curvature substantially corresponds to the cross sectional curvature of the mesh rope and the convex curvature is preferably about a center that will provide a gentle curve for the bends of the mesh rope along the edge of a panel, and which curvature is about a radius greater than the radius of the mesh rope, indicated at 78.

In actual practice, after panels, such as indicated at 86, $7, 88 (Fig. are formed, as already generally described for the net of Fig. 1 or Fig. 2, the bends along one edge of the panel 86, for example, are arranged adjacent to the corresponding bends along one edge of the panel 87 and then the adjacent bends are clipped together by placing one thimble half 81 in one bend of each adjacent pair and a thimble half 82 in the other bend of each such pair, so that the open sides of the thimble halves are in opposedly facing relation.

Each thimble half is centrally formed along the free edge of the open side with a tab section 89 that is offset slightly in the same direction, so that an end to end reversal of the halves will enable the corresponding sides of the thimble halves to frictionally engage each other in overlapping relation and with one tab on each half positioned between the opposed sides. This frictional engagement between each pair of thimble halves is sufficient to hold them together, until they are lashed together, although by squeezing the opposed sides of the double thimble toward each other a greater frictional securement can be obtained.

After each pair of adjacent bends are clipped together by the thimble halves, a lashing of glass fibers, generally indicated in dot-dash line 90 (Fig. 16) lashes the thimble halves together and as the glass fibers are enclosed or impregnated with the hardening plastic 61 the thimble halves are inseparably secured together, thus securing the adjacent bends of each pair together.

The lashing is not indicated in full line in the drawings so as not to obscure the thimble structure.

By this structure the breaking point of the mesh rope at the adjacent bends is far greater than where lacing rope 68 is employed and the connection between adjacent panels is more rapidly effected.

One of the notable features of a net of the present structure as distinguished from conventional nets, is the very noticeable increase in elasticity when a falling load is placed on the net, such as a person or other object of substantial weight. This characteristic is highly desirable in preventing injury to persons falling into the net, since the present structure there is no abrupt shock, as occurs with conventional nets.

In all of the nets or net structures herein described, the breaking point of the net is substantially increased over that in nets using square mesh for the reason that the strains imposed on the mesh rope of the net when a person or object falls into the net, are relatively evenly distributed along relatively long lengths of rope that radiate from the point of impact.

It is believed evident that a net or" the structure hereinbefore described, can be laid in a much shorter length of time than a net made by conventional methods.

It is not intended that the precise description of the nets shown in the drawings should be restrictive of the invention. The drawings and description are merely intended to show and to describe preferred structures.

We claim:

1. The method of making a rope net that comprises the steps of; successively laying runs of a continuous rope along a series of angularly extending substantially straight runs and laying alternate of said runs along parallel lines across the same side of any previously laid runs crossed thereby, then firmly securing said runs together where they cross each other.

2. The method of making a rope net that comprises the steps of; successively laying runs of rope along a series of angularly extending substantially straight runs and laying alternate of said runs along parallel lines across the same side of any previously laid runs crossed thereby, then firmly securing said runs together where they cross each other, said steps of firmly securing said runs together being accomplished by the step of lashing the said runs together with glass filaments and at the same time bonding said filaments together in a settable plastic material.

3. The method of making a rope net that comprises the steps of; successively laying runs of a continuous rope along a series of angularly extending substantially straight runs and laying alternate of said runs along parallel lines across the same, side of any previously laid runs crossed thereby, bending said rope between successive runs at spaced points along a closed predetermined outline enclosing said runs, then threading a separate rope along said outline and within each bend and connecting the ends of said separate rope, then securing said runs together where they cross each other and securing said bends to said separate rope.

4. The method of making a rope net of rectangular outline that comprises the steps of; successively laying runs of continuous rope along a series of angularly extending substantially straight runs and laying alternate of said runs along parallel lines across the same side of any previously laid runs crossed thereby, bending said rope between successive runs at an even number of spaced points along two opposite sides of said outline and at an odd number of spaced points one less than said even number along the other two opposite sides of said outline, securing said runs together where they cross each other, positioning a separate rope of larger diameter than that of said runs along said outline and within the bends 7 of said successive runs and securing said bends to said separate rope.

5. The method of making a rope net of rectangular outline that comprises the steps of: successively laying runs of continuous rope along a series of angularly extending substantially straight runs and laying alternate of said runs along parallel lines across the same side of any previously laid runs crossed thereby, bending said rope between successive runs at an even number of spaced points along two opposite sides of said outline and at an odd number of spaced points one less than said even number along the other two opposite sides of said outline, securing said runs together where they cross each other, positioning a separate rope of larger diameter than that of said runs along said outline and within the bends said successive runs and securing said bends to said separate rope, said steps of securing said runs together and of securing said bends to said separate rope being accomplished by the steps of coating glass filaments with a settable plastic material, then lashing said runs together and lashing said bends to said separate rope with said coated glass filaments before the plastic covering on said filaments has set' 6. The method of making an elongated rope net of obling outline that comprises the steps of: making a plurality of separate rope nets of rectangular outline each being made by laying runs of rope along a series of angularly extending substantially straight runs and laying alternate of said runs along parallel lines across the same side of any previously laid runs crossed thereby, bending the rope between successive runs at spaced points along each side of the rectangular outline of each such separate rope net, then placing a pair of said separate nets in edge to edge relationship and extending a rope within the bends along the adjacent edges of said pair and firmly securing said last mentioned rope to said bends.

7. A rope net comprising rope bent at a plurality of spaced points along each side of an enclosed rectangular outline with runs of said rope extending angularly from each of said bends to and between two adjacent sides of said outline, one of the runs of the bends along each side of said outline being parallel with one of the runs of the bends along the side of the outline opposite thereto whereby a plurality of such parallel runs cross a plurality of other parallel runs to define substantially uniform size four sided mesh openings with their diagonals extending substantially perpendicular to the sides of said outline, an edge rope along said outline and within each bend connected at its ends, ties of glass fibers securing said runs together at the points where the latter cross each other,

and ties of glass fibers securing said bends to said edge rope at the points where each bend extends around said edge rope.

8. A rope net comprising: an edge rope of generally rectangular outline, a continuous mesh rope bent around said edge rope at spaced points along each side of said outline with said mesh rope extending a number of times in succession between the mesh rope along adjacent sides of said outline in one direction around the latter whereby runs of said mesh rope will cross each other within said outline to provide mesh openings with the successively laid runs extending over the same side of previously laid runs, ties respectively securely holding said mesh rope [together at their crossing points within said outline and holding the bends of said mesh rope to said edge rope at said points along said edge rope, said ties being filaments of glass coated with and bonded together by a fluid plastic material.

9. A rope net comprising: an edge rope of generally rectangular outline, a continuous mesh rope bent around said edge rope at spaced points along each side of said outline with said mesh rope extending a number of times in succession between the mesh rope along adjacent sides of said outline in one direction around the latter whereby runs of said mesh rope will cross each other within saidoutline to provide mesh openings with the successively laid runs extending over the same side of previously laid runs, ties respectively securely holding said mesh rope together at their crossing points within said outline and holding the bends of said mesh rope to said edge rope at said points along said edge rope, a second mesh rope bent around said edge rope and having runs extending across the space within said outline in parallel relation to runs of said first mentioned mesh rope and crossing runs of said first mentioned mesh rope, and ties securing said second mesh rope to said edge rope and securing the runs of said second mesh rope to each other at their crossing points and at points where they cross the runs of said first mentioned mesh rope.

10. An elongated rope net comprising: an edge rope of generally oblong outline, a mesh rope within said outline defining a diamond mesh in which each mesh opening has equal sides with their diagonals substantially normal to the edge rope along the sides of said outline, said mesh rope being bent around said edge rope at an even number of spaced points along each of two opposite sides of said outline and at an odd number of spaced points one less in number than said even number along each of the two remaining opposite sides of said outline, ties securely fastening said mesh rope together at their crossing points within said outline and securing said mesh rope to said edge rope at each of the bends of said mesh rope around said edge rope, and a coating of plastic enclosing said ties.

11. An elongated rope net comprising: an edge rope of generally oblong outline, a mesh rope within said outline defining diamond mesh in which each mesh opening has equal sides with their diagonals substantially normal to the edge rope along the sides of said outline, said mesh rope being bent around said edge rope at an even number of spaced points along each of two opposite sides of said outline and at an odd number of spaced points one less in number than said even number along each of the two remaining opposite sides of said outline, ties securely fastening said mesh rope together at their crossing points within said outline and securing said mesh rope to said edge rope at each of the bends of said mesh rope around said edge rope, and a coating of plastic enclosing said ties, said ties being of glass fibers.

12. An elongated rope net comprising an edge rope of generally oblong outline, a plurality of mesh ropes within said outline each bent around said edge rope at spaced points along separate sections of the longer sides of said outline and extending in crossing relation between the edge rope at said sections for providing separate panels of diamond mesh in which each mesh opening has equal sides with their diagonals substantially normal to the edge rope, lacing rope bent over the edge rope along said longer sides and extending through the mesh openings along the adjacent edges of said panels for securing said panels together, said edge rope and said lacing rope being of larger diameter than said mesh rope, and ties securing said mesh rope together at their crossing points and securing said mesh rope along the adjacent edges of said panels to said lacing rope, and a coating of plastic material enclosing said ties.

13. An elongated rope net comprising: an edge rope of generally oblong outline, a mesh rope within said outline defining a diamond mesh in which each mesh opening has equal sides with their diagonals substantially normal to the edge rope along the sides of said outline, said mesh rope being bent around said edge rope at an even number of spaced points along each of two opposite sides of said outline and at an odd number of spaced points one less in number than said even number along each of the two remaining opposite sides of said outline, ties of glass fibers securely fastening said mesh rope together at their crossing points within said outline and securing said mesh rope to said edge rope at each of the bends of said mesh rope around said edge rope, and acoating of plastic enclosing said ties, the glass fibers of each of said ties at the crossing points of said mesh rope being wound about the mesh rope in two planes perpendicular to each other, said plastic material being hardened and a portion thereof being imbedded in said mesh rope where the ties engage said mesh thereby locking said mesh rope and said ties together.

14. In a rope net comprising a pair of separately formed net sections each including lengths of rope bent at equally spaced points along one of the edges thereof providing corresponding bends along said one of their edges, said bends being positioned with said sections in edge to edge relation, and a double thimble of rigid material at each bend and through which each pair of adjacent bends extend, for holding said bends together.

15. In a rope net comprising a pair of separately formed net sections each including lengths of rope bent at equally spaced points along one of the edges thereof providing corresponding bends along said one of their edges, said bends being positioned with said sections in edge to edge relation, and a double thimble of rigid material at each bend and through which each pair of adjacent bends extend, for holding said bends together, each of said double thimbles being a pair of single thimbles around each of which one of each adjacent pair of bends extends, means for securing each pair of single thimbles together.

16. In a rope net comprising a pair of separately formed net sections each including lengths of rope bent at equally spaced points along one of the edges thereof providing corresponding bends along said one of their edges, said bends being positioned with said sections in edge to edge relation, and a double thimble of rigid material at each bend and through which each pair of adjacent bends extend, for holding said bends together,

. 10 each of said double thimbles being a pair of single thimbles around each of which one of each adjacent pair of bends extends, means for securing each pair of single thimbles together, said means being glass filaments wound around each pair and a plastic material covering said filaments.

17. In a rope net comprising a pair of separately formed net sections each including lengths of rope bent at equally spaced points along one of the edges thereof providing corresponding bends along said one of their edges, said bends being positioned with said sections in edge to edge relation, and a double thimble of rigid material at each bend and through which each pair of adjacent bends extend, for holding said bends together, each of said double thimbles being a pair of separable single thimbles having an arcuately extending surface over which a bend of each adjacent pair thereof extends, each single thimble having opposed side walls extending from opposite edges of said surface, means on the side walls of the single thimbles of each double thimble being in frictional engagement with each other, and means for securely holding the thimbles of each double thimble together and against separation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,334,754 Dreyfus Nov. 23, 1943 2,487,358 Morins Nov. 8, 1949 2,659,956 Lilienfeld Nov. 24, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 6,460 Great Britain of 1907 446,259 France Sept. 27, 1912 

